many parents will tell you that one of the most annoying questions that comes out of their child's mouth is "why?" ”
new research finds that curious children have been more successful in school, regardless of their socioeconomic status.
many parents will tell you that one of the most annoying questions that comes out of their child's mouth is "why?" ”
almost every child goes through a phase when it becomes their response to almost everything – even your answer to their last question.
this can be exhausting, especially when you don't actually know the answers to any questions they're currently asking. why is the sky blue? does anyone really know?
but rest assured, parents. all of these "whys" can be a big reward for your child.
a recent pediatric study published a study linking curiosity to academic achievement. the study involved a direct assessment of 6,200 kindergarten students, as well as a parent-reported behavioral questionnaire. the results suggest a correlation between curiosity and greater academic achievement in reading and math.
the study's findings may help ease the minds of many modern parents, especially considering that a 2016 poll found that more than 50 percent of parents with children under the age of 18 ranked their child's academic performance as one of their top three parenting concerns.
but if curiosity is the key to academic success, can curiosity be cultivated, or is it an innate trait?
Shape a curious mind
Lead researcher Dr. Prachi Shah told both.
"it's tricky because, as far as i know, there haven't been any longitudinal studies of children's curiosity yet," she explains. "so, we don't know how curiosity changes or grows with age or experience." however, i think we can combine experience with a child's innate passion so that we can develop their interest and engage in topics that help facilitate early learning. ”
Pediatrician Susan Buttross completely agrees. "There's no doubt that curiosity can be cultivated," she said, while also offering warnings. "It can be a two-way street – curiosity can also be hindered." Parents who intend to raise a child who is perfect in every way may be overly involved in the coaching game. When this happens, the child is less likely to try it on their own. ”
it's ironic, but it's true. well-meaning parents may actually prevent their children's innate curiosity from developing.
New discoveries
THE NEW STUDY ALSO SHOWS THAT ALL CHILDREN WHO WERE CONSIDERED CURIOUS BY THE STUDY PRODUCED SIMILAR PERFORMANCE RESULTS REGARDLESS OF THEIR SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS (SES).
This is perhaps one of the most fascinating findings in the study. Previous research has found that a child's socioeconomic background has a large influence on school performance. The American Psychological Association (APA) even says that children from low-SES families and communities progress more slowly to school than their peers.
in some cases, new evidence seems to suggest that this is not the case, as the performance gap in curious children disappears.
IN SOME CASES, HOWEVER, CURIOSITY MAY NOT BE ENOUGH, AS STUDIES COMPILED BY APA ALSO POINT TO OTHER PROBLEMS THAT INTERFERE WITH THE LEARNING OF LOW-SES STUDENTS. THESE INCLUDE THE OFTEN UNDER-RESOURCED SCHOOL SYSTEM AND HIGH DROPOUT RATES.
still, the new study offers hope for positive change.
"This is one of the most exciting discoveries behind the paper," Shah said. "The literature talks about the achievement gap associated with poverty, but according to our findings, if you come from a low socioeconomic environment and have higher curiosity, then your academic performance is the same as coming from a higher SES and having a higher curiosity." ”
she noted that children from higher socioeconomic backgrounds tend to have more opportunities, such as exposure to books and caregivers, who may support their learning in a number of different ways. they may also have more experience.
children from low socioeconomic families often come from under-resourced settings. however, curiosity is related to a child's intrinsic motivation – the intrinsic motivation that drives the child to learn, explore, ask questions, and seek information. so if curiosity is cultivated, this motivation may prompt them to learn when their environment does not provide natural stimuli.
this finding has great potential to help teachers close the socioeconomic performance gap in the classroom.
Katie McNairy, florida,000, a current middle school media expert and eighth-grade journalism teacher with more than a decade of teaching experience, is an educator excited about this potential.
"students from lower socioeconomic status are disadvantaged from the start due to differences in resources," she explains.
she noted that their parents typically work longer hours, and that the childcare services they can afford tend to focus more on ensuring their children's safety than on nurturing learning opportunities outside the classroom.
still, the new study gave her hope that cultivating curiosity would help improve their academic performance throughout their lives.
"if a disadvantaged child is born with curiosity, or somehow stimulates their curiosity, it gives them self-motivation to think and confuse until they are able to understand the world around them," she said. "they may also be looking for people who can help them learn what they want to know, which may lead to mentors who are willing to teach them."
Potential game changers
this isn't the first time curiosity has been found to have a positive effect on behavior. a 2016 study found that curiosity can be provoked in influencing people's choices, and that people may change their behavior by encouraging them to choose healthier choices.
also, a 2014 study by neurons showed that curiosity actually triggers chemical changes in the brain, helping people find answers and preserve the information they've learned.
all of this means that curiosity has the potential to be a game changer in education. but how do teachers apply this information in the classroom?
"good teachers find ways to connect what students are learning with what's important to them," mcnair said. "an easy way is to give them a part of the whole picture and then give the students their own way of piecing together." as tricky as this can be, students feel a greater sense of accomplishment when they solve problems on their own. ”
Dr Shah believes that this is also largely related to teaching children's specific interests. "Kids may be curious about one topic but not about another," she explains. "For parents and educators, it's really about discovering what a child's personal passion is. What drives their interest? If children feel they can play an active role in deciding what they are pursuing, it helps them invest more in what they are learning. ”
it might be as simple as getting a child interested in ladybugs and using them to customize math lessons: let's count how many ladybugs we've found.
it's about solving problems and asking questions in a way that piques your child's curiosity.
Get a head start
Of course, you don't have to wait until your kids go to school to start looking for ways to cultivate their curiosity. Buttross recommends playing games like peek-a-boo with very young children, which is a "great way to start".
"then there's asking questions about who, what, when, where, even before they can give a verbal answer," she said. "walk into a room with your baby and ask 'where's daddy?' then wait a few seconds, look around, and finally point and say, 'here he comes!' see? '”
Buttross adds: "You can also discuss the scenes you witnessed. For example, when you're looking at a cat, you might ask, "Why do you think the kitten is licking its paws?" Wait a minute, then answer, "Maybe he's washing them!" "In this way, you can shape for them what curiosity might look like, even before they're old enough to ask questions on their own."
She also encourages parents to allow young children to explore their environment without stopping or interrupting. "It's a way for them to have their own weird ideas," Buttross explains. "Free and directionless play allows children to study what is under the stone, or where the water poured on the sand goes."
as children get older, she recommends activities such as nature walks, visits to museums or zoo tours. when questions arise, she advises parents to answer other questions, encouraging children to find answers on their own.
"talk to your kids more. have a conversation to read. ask questions. 'what do you think about this?' where do you think he's going next? shah said. this parenting style will elicit opinions from the child and ask them to reflect on their own ideas. ”
Looking to the future
For her part, Shah hopes the latest study will provide new training tools for parents and educators, especially in settings with low SES.
"developmental psychologists are doing some very innovative work to create learning environments," she said. "so there may be some signs in the [future] grocery store that encourages parents to talk to their children about what they see." [for example,] you might see a sign that describes eggplant and its various attributes, as well as questions parents can ask their children about eggplant. ”
she added: "communicating with children in this way is something parents can teach. these findings can indeed be universally applied and can promote early social-emotional development in children of all socioeconomic classes. ”
while more research needs to be done, the results of this study could help more children reach their full potential – which should give parents around the world a reason to ask "why?" next time their children ask " why?" "when smiling.